North York Moors music festival under way

Churches across the North York Moors are bursting into life with the eighth annual Chamber Music Festival.

This year’s festival celebrates the life and work of Schumann and features 13 concerts at 11 venuesuntil August 27.

Some 45 musicians from all over the world are gathering to play in venues across the Ryedale, Whitby and Scarborough.

The festival was set up and is run by cellist Jamie Walton who says the success of the event is it’s affordable and accessible to everyone.

“It has always been our intention to make the festival as anti-elite, non-exclusive as we possibly can to encourage as many people as possible to access this wonderful music, in fabulous settings, here in the North York moors,” he said. “For that reason we keep ticket prices as low as we possibly can and it is paying off as the concerts are being wonderfully-well supported once again.”

The festival is celebrating what Jamie calls the life and “rollercoaster personality” of Schumann.

Each concert has been given a name to represent a theme from his life.

Singers will feature in two concerts: at Philosophy, a 2pm concert at St Mary’s Church, Lastingham on today when baritone James Newby will take centre stage and at Cycle of Life, another 2pm concert, this time at St Hilda’s Priory, Sneaton Castle, on Monday when acclaimed young mezzo-soprano Anna Huntley, from nearby Yarm, will sing.